Now many electric vehicles come with bidirectional charging features. This enables EV owners to effectively use their EVs as powerhouses (batteries) on wheels. V2H is a term associated with Electric vehicles. It is one of the three types of bidirectional charging available in EVs. In this blog, we’ll learn more about things like V2H compatible cars and see what cars can do V2H.
What is Bidirectional Charging?
When an EV is charged, the AC (alternating current) electricity from the utility grid is converted to DC (direct current) so it can be utilized by the car battery. This is performed by a convertor that’s located in the charger or the car.
Essentially, bidirectional EV charging is a type of charging that occurs in two ways (back and forth). Energy flows from the grid to the car or it is sent back to the grid or is used to power other devices. Your car can be used just like a portable power bank. It can charge your personal devices in the same way.
Bidirectional charging is a larger term that covers several other use cases, the most common ones being- V2H, V2G, and V2L.
1. Vehicle to Home or V2H- In it, the energy from your EV is used to power your home or business. It works the same as any stationary home storage battery like Tesla Powerwall 2. It reduces grid consumption but your car needs to be plugged into a bidirectional charging port.
2. Vehicle to Load or V2L- It doesn’t require a bidirectional charger and is the most basic use of bidirectional charging. It uses a V2L adapter that plugs into your type 2 charging port and allows your car to operate as a portable battery pack with a standard power supply of 120/240V.
3. Vehicle to Grid or V2G- In it, you use energy from your EV to stabilize the grid. A smart bidirectional charger is used to do this. This charger is usually a part of a Virtual Power Plant or VPP. Additionally, your energy retailer here controls when your battery is discharged or charged. After this, let’s see what are V2H compatible cars and what cars can do V2H.
What are V2H Compatible Cars? What Cars Can Do V2H?
V2H compatible cars send energy from your car to your home or business. Currently, in the market, only Nissan Leaf is a popular V2H compatible car. It is a five-seater small hatchback electric car made in the United Kingdom. Its off-road price starts anywhere around $50,990.
The Nissan Lead allows bidirectional charging via Vehicle to Home (V2H) and Vehicle to Grid (V2G) capable of an output of about 7kW. A bidirectional charger such as Wallbox Quasar is used to make this functionality possible. By connecting to a bidirectional charger, the Nissan Leaf can be discharged and charged just like a home battery. Apart from the several trials being conducted around the country, V2G or V2H has not been approved for wide-scale use by most energy networks.
Is Nissan Leaf V2H Compatible?
Yes, as you have seen in the prior answer Nissan lead is a V2H compatible car and, currently, it is the only car in the market supporting V2H and V2G technology. It however doesn’t feature a V2L feature. This should have answered your question- Is Nissan Leaf V2H compatible?
Also Read: V2G vs V2H vs V2L Bidirectional Charging
Can Tesla Do V2H?
After learning is Nissan Leaf V2H compatible, let’s also see can Tesla do V2H. Powering a house with an EV vehicle or V2H (Vehicle to Home) technology is a phenomenal feature that sadly only a few EVs on the market offer currently. To date, Tesla hasn’t offered these features. The company says that they may add it within the next two years, however, Elon musk says that this feature isn’t quite useful.
What are Some V2L Compatible Cars?
After going through can Tesla do V2H, let’s also explore some V2L compatible cars. These are a few V2L compatible cars in the market-
1. MG ZS EV
The MG ZS EV is a five-seater small electric SUV. It is priced at around $44,990 and is currently among the cheapest electric cars available in Australia. This EV features V2L functionality through an adapter that plugs into the car’s charging port that’s located at the front. It is able to support a maximum load of up to 2.2 kW.
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2. BYD Atto 3
The BYD Atto 3 is another five-seater electric small SUV manufactured in China. Before on-road costs, it is priced at around $44,381. Its company claims that it has up to 420 km of driving range. It comes with two battery pack sizes and is also a front-wheel drive.
The BYD Atto 3 features V2L through an adapter that plugs into the car’s external charging port that is located at the front side of the car. The car can support a maximum load of up to 3.6 kW. However, the rated maximum load of the adapter that comes along with it is 2.2 kW.
3. Hyundai Ioniq 5 – V2L
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is another five-seater electric medium cross-over vehicle from South Korea. Before on-road costs, it is priced at around $69,900. It provides V2L functionality capable of supporting appliances and devices with a maximum load of 3.6 kW. Via a powerpoint located below the second-row seats of this car, you can connect devices internally. Additionally, you can connect the devices externally by using an adapter to connect the car’s charge port on the right-hand side.
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4. Kia Niro EV
The Kia Niro EV is a small five-seater electric SUV made in South Korea. Its off-road costs are about $65,300. It provides V2L functionality that is capable of supporting appliances and devices with a maximum load of 3.6 kW. All the models of this car have an interior V2L plug under the rear seats. Using an adapter at its front-mounted charging port, only the hero GT-Line is capable of exterior V2L.
5. Kia EV6
The Kia EV6 is a five-seater medium crossover electric car made in South Korea. Its off-road price is around $72,590. It has V2L functionality capable of supporting appliances and devices with a maximum load of up to 3.6 kW. Via a powerpoint located below the second-row seats of this car, you can connect devices internally. Additionally, you can connect the devices externally by using an adapter to connect the car’s charge port on the right-hand side.
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6. Genesis GV60, GV70, G80 – V2L
All Genesis cars come with a standard V2L adapter.
a) Genesis GV60
The Genesis GV60 is a five-seater medium electric crossover made in South Korea. Its off-road price is around $103,700. It has a V2L feature that’s capable of supporting appliances and devices with about 3.6 kW of maximum load.
b) Genesis Electrified GV70
The Genesis Electrified GV70 is an electric five-seater medium SUV made in South Korea. Its off-road price is around $127,800. It also has a V2L feature that’s capable of supporting appliances and devices with about 3.6 kW of maximum load.
c) Genesis Electrified G80
The Genesis Electrified G80 is a large luxury sedan that is all-electric. It has one high-spec variant offered in Australia and its price starts from around $145,000. Via an adapter that plugs into the car’s external charging port on the front-right side of the car, it features V2L functionality. It allows a maximum load of 3.6 kW. In this model, V2L is not possible internally like in GV60 and GV70.
Also Read: Self-driving Cars: A Force for Urban Densification or Expansion?
What are the Benefits of V2H Compatible Cars?
The benefits of V2h compatible cars are as follows-
1. Increases Self-Sufficiency
V2H reduces your household dependence on the source grid power or from any other party suppliers. It allows homeowners to be prosumers that are producers as well as consumers of electricity that is self-generated. It provides cleaner and cheaper energy.
2. Increases Financial Savings
Through V2H, your household can draw cheaper power when tariff rates from the energy supplier or the grid are high, for instance during peak hours. Most EVs are charged during the night when the electric tariff prices are cheaper. When electricity prices are higher, V2H allows the use of the stored energy from the EV battery.
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3. Increases the Grid Stability
With the increasing use of EVs in countries like the Uk, you can expect to see a significant demand or supply of power in relation to the utility grid. Potentially, this will reduce the stability of the national grid. Through the use of V2H, the homes will reduce the demand on the national grid, and thus overall stability of the power infrastructure of a country will be increased.
4. Can be Combined With on-site renewable energy generation
In the coming years, there will be a great shift in the energy generation national framework of different countries. Decentralized renewable energy generation is becoming more famous. In the future, you can expect more homes to install small-scale solar systems or wind generation systems to power more homes. Every home will become a mini utility or generator. V2H can be combined with on-site renewable energy generation. It allows solar power to be stored in the EV battery that can be consumed by residences when electricity prices are higher.
5. Green and Clean
The on-site renewable energy stored in the EV battery reduces the use of fossil for grid power generation. Thus, it also reduces the carbon emissions of your household and benefits the environment.
How to Choose a V2G Compatible Cars?
Here are some factors you should consider while choosing V2G compatible cars or EVs-
1. How Much Energy Do You Need to Store?
V2G compatible cars or EVs have a variety of sizes. The models vary from larger models that can easily store up to 30 kWh of energy to smaller models that can only store 5 kWh of energy. Ultimately, you should choose the model that meets your energy needs.
2. What Type of Batteries do You Prefer?
V2G technology works best with Lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries. Some V2G models allow you to choose between these two batteries, whereas some models come with just one type of battery. Always consider your needs and budget when making the decision.
3. What is Your home’s Electrical System?
To use V2G technology, you’ll need a bidirectional charge that is too installed by a qualified professional. Before buying a V2G compatible EV, be sure to have this system installed in place.
4. What Price Point Works for You?
The V2G compatible EVs are more expensive than your usual EVs. Always compare the prices of V2H compatible cars and then choose the one that fits your budget.
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What are the Challenges With V2G Technology?
Although the concept of V2G technology can revolutionize the way you power your homes and businesses. However, there are several challenges we must overcome as a society for the widespread adoption of this technology.
1. There needs to be a developed infrastructure for V2G cars. To accommodate V2G cars, there should be charging stations.
2. Currently, EVs with V2G are quite expensive. These cars need to be more affordable. Currently, all V2G-related technologies like even batteries are extremely expensive for most consumers.
3. Finally, the V2G compatible cars need to be more reliant. These cars will play a very important role in powering your homes and businesses. Thus, they need to be able to handle our daily use of power demands.
For V2G technology to work at its full potential, overcoming these challenges is very essential.
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